2002 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON FREQUENTLY. DEALERSHIP REPORTS BRAKE ACCUMULATOR BOOSTER ASSEMBLY LEAKING. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE BRAKE FAILURE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER, ACCUMULATOR ASSEMBLY. *JB

STEERING IN CAR LOCKS UP AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE ISSUE SEEMS CONSISTENT WITH THE 2001 RECALL ITEMS. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSES TO OFFER ASSISTANCE WITHOUT CHARGING AND CLAIMS STEERING TO NOT BE COVERED UNDER POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. *JB

CONTINUATION OF COMPLAINT (ODI NUMBERS) 10162367-68 EARLIER THAT DAY WE HAD DRIVEN MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND GRANDDAUGHTER TO FUMICINO AIRPORT IN ROME AND THEN RETURNED HOME. WE COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT A CATASTROPHE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THAT FREEZING OF THE STEERING WHEEL HAD OCCURRED AT AUTOSTRADA SPEEDS. IN THE MEANTIME, BI AUTO IN FLORENCE HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE PART (NO 44200-47060) MUST BE DELIVERED FROM JAPAN AND WILL TAKE A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPEDITE SERVICE, I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA (REF # 200607110691) TO SEE IF THE PART MAY BE MORE READILY AVAILABLE AND SHIPPED SOONER FROM THE US. THEIR ANSWER WAS NO. FURTHER, THEY INDICATED THAT SINCE THE PRIUS WAS OUTSIDE THE US, THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY EXTENSION AND THUS THE $3500 REPAIR WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. I WILL NOW CONTACT MY US DEALER (I BOUGHT A SECOND PRIUS IN 2004, WHICH IS STILL IN THE US) TO SEE IF THEY WILL INTERCEDE ON MY BEHALF. BUT WHAT'S ESPECIALLY TROUBLING IS EVEN IF THIS REPLACEMENT PERFORMED IS WHETHER (1) TOYOTA HAS MADE ANY IMPROVEMENT IN THE REPLACEMENT PART TO ELIMINATE THE FAILURE (APPARENTLY THE 2004 REPLACEMENT WAS INEFFECTIVE), (2) FOR HOW MANY MILES MIGHT THIS NEW REPLACEMENT PART LAST, AND (3) WILL THERE BE ANY WARNING, SUCH AS THE STIFFNESS IN TURNING, THAT WILL PRECEDE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE SUCH AS THIS FREEZING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. FOR THE ONLINE FORM, I HAVE PROVIDED MY US CONTACT NUMBERS. HOWEVER, UNTIL AUGUST 6TH, I WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN ITALY. *JB

CONTINUATION OF COMPLAINT (ODI NUMBER) 10162367 THE STEERING WAS EACH TIME FROZEN IN THE CENTER POSITION WITH NO POSSIBILITY OF TURNING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. THE EARLIER PROBLEM WAS NOT DEMONSTRABLE TO THE TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING IN OCTOBER 26, 2005 AND MARCH 2, 2006 (DURING A ONE WEEK VISIT), BUT BECAUSE I HAD MORE TIME IN JULY, I HAD SCHEDULED A TOTAL INSPECTION FOR THE STEERING MECHANISM ON TUESDAY, JULY 11TH. AFTER THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, HOWEVER, I HAD THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TOWED TO BI AUTO TOYOTA IN FLORENCE FOR REPAIR. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE TOWING CHARGE WAS MORE THAN $200, I HAD NO CONFIDENCE THAT THIS CAR COULD BE DRIVEN SAFELY TO THE DEALERSHIP. AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SCATOLA GUIDA, A PART WITH A PRICE-TAG OF 2840 EUROS (APPROXIMATELY $3500). WHEN I CALLED BACK TO MY TOYOTA DEALER IN PITTSBURGH, I WAS TOLD THAT THE MOST EXPENSIVE STEERING PART THAT COULD BE PURCHASED WAS THE STEERING RACK WHICH WAS ABOUT $1100. HOWEVER, THE BELLS AND WHISTLES WENT OFF WHEN BI AUTO PROVIDED THE PART NUMBER 44200-47060. THIS SAME PART WAS REPLACED BY ROHRICH TOYOTA IN PITTSBURGH ON MAY 14, 2004, AT 26,539 MILES. REPLACEMENT WAS SOON FOLLOWED WITH A WARRANTY EXTENSION. SIMILAR EXPERIENCES TO MINE ARE DOCUMENTED AT HTTP://WWW.PRIUSONLINE.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=539&HIGHLIGHT=, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO ONE HAS REPORTED THIS SECOND INCIDENT TWO YEARS AND 20,000 MILES LATER (THE PRIUS ODOMETER NOW READS APPROXIMATELY 47,000 MILES). MOREOVER THE SYMPTOM FOR THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS A VIBRATION WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE AND SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE REPORTED THE TURNING STIFFNESS EARLIER AND EXCESSIVE AND UNEVEN TIRE WEAR (MY REAR TIRES WERE BADLY WORN AT 24,000 MILES), BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME FOR ME THAT THIS TOTAL FREEZING OF THE STEERING WHEEL IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD POSITION HAS OCCURRED. *JB

A YEAR AGO, I HAD MY 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS SHIPPED TO ITALY WHILE I WAS ON SABBATICAL. STARTING IN OCTOBER (2005), I STARTED REPORTING TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER THAT THE STEERING WAS STIFF WHEN RETURNING THE WHEEL STRAIGHT AHEAD ON SHARP TURNS OR WHEN MOVING OUT OF TIGHT PLACES WHERE I HAD PARKED. I RETURNED TO THE US FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER, BUT RETURNED IN JUNE, AND FOUND THE SAME INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME DAMAGE TO THE CAR DURING SHIPPING. THIS PAST SUNDAY (JULY 9, 2006), HOWEVER, I HAD A CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT THAT MIGHT HAVE SENT MY WIFE AND ME OFF THE SMALL COUNTRY ROAD WE WERE TRAVELING ON ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM OUR HOME HERE SOUTH OF FLORENCE IN THE CHIANTI REGION. I HAD BEEN ON A STEADY DOWNHILL STRETCH WHICH THEN REVERSED TO IN AN S-CURVE ON AN INCLINE. I TURNED NORMALLY THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE S-CURVE WHEN SUDDENLY THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE SOLID IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD POSITION AND I HAD TO JAM ON THE BRAKES TO STOP FORWARD MOTION OF THE CAR OR GO OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A RAVINE. I WAS PROBABLY TRAVELING UNDER 15-20 MPH, BECAUSE THE CURVES WERE SO SHARP AND I WAS TRAVELING UPHILL. TO GET OFF THE ROAD, I STOPPED AND STARTED THE PRIUS A COUPLE OF TIMES TO SEE IF THIS WERE AN ELECTRICAL-COMPUTER FAULT AS THE STEERING SYSTEM IN THIS CAR HAD BEEN REPLACED AT 26,000 MILES (MORE ABOUT THIS LATER). ON ABOUT THE THIRD TRY, I WAS ABLE WITH TREMENDOUS FORCE TO MOVE THE WHEEL OFF CENTER AND NORMAL STEERING WAS RESTORED. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ADEQUATE SHOULDER ON THE ROAD, I RETURNED THE CAR HOME, EXPERIENCING THE SAME STEERING WHEEL LOCK-UP MORE THAN ONCE, JAMMING ON THE BRAKES TO BRING THE CAR TO A HALT, AND THEN WRESTLING WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT WITH THE SAME IMMENSE FORCE UNTIL IT BROKE FREE. THIS WAS NOTHING LIKE THE PREVIOUS STIFFNESS I HAD EXPERIENCED BRINGING THE WHEEL BACK TO CENTER FROM A FAR LEFT OR FAR RIGHT POSITION. (TO BE CONTINUED). *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LOCATION OF THE GEAR SHIFTER ALLOWED THE GEARS TO BE SHIFTED BY ACCIDENT. THE GEARS WERE CHANGED ACCIDENTALLY FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT. THE LACK OF A LOCKING MECHANISM ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO BE SLIPPED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE BY ACCIDENT AS WELL. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 03/28/06. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER , WHO DETERMINED FUEL TANK RUPTURED. EXPENSIVE REPAIR WERE MADE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE CAR STALLED AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005 THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO 37 MPH. THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR STOPPED. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY, WHICH WAS REPLACED AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE. ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005 THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND THEN CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE COOLANT SENSOR IN THE TRANSAXLE. THE TRANSAXLE WAS REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR ON NOVEMBER 23, 2005 THE PROBLEM STOPPED. PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 6, 2005 THE ONBOARD COMPUTER WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK UPDATED 12/2705. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON THEN GOING OFF. TOOK TO DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. WHILE THERE THEY NOTICED TIRES WERE SEVERELY WORN. TOLD ME I NEEDED 4 NEW TIRES AND A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT 27,008 MILES. PURCHASED 4 175/65R14 RE 92 EXTRA LOAD TIRES. LEFT AFTER PAYING FOR REPAIRS INCLUDING AN OIL CHANGE OF $557.61 N AUGUST 3, 2004. OCTOBER 8, 2005 HAD TWO NEARLY FLAT FRONT TIRES. HAVE HAD TO PUT AIR INTO TIRES SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 4 MONTHS - EVEN TOOK CAR TO AUTO GARAGE THAT CHANGED TIRES FROM WINTER TO SUMMER THINKING THEY PUT THEM ON WRONG. OCT. 12, 2005 STARTED HEARING A HUMMING NOISE IN FRONT LEFT TIRE. TOOK TO AUTO GARAGE ON OCT 15, 2005 TO BE TOLD THAT ONCE AGAIN TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN DUE TO NEEDING A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND FRONT LEFT TIRE NEEDED A BALL BEARING. INSIDE WALL OF TIRES IS WORN OFF AND DANGER OF TIRE BLOW-OUT. REAR TIRES ALSO SHOW SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEAR ON INSIDE WALL AND SHOULD BE REPLACED SOON. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 44,804. I ALSO PUT ON WINTER TIRES EVERY AUTUMN ONTO THE FRONT. GARAGE TECHNICIAN SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH BURNING THROUGH 2 SETS OF 4 TIRES WITHIN 45,000 MILES AND I SHOULD CONTACT DEALER. *JB

CONSUMER VEHICLE HAS IN BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS SINCE APRIL 05. CONSUMER FEEL THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED. *TS THE CONSUMER DID NOT STATE WHAT THE PROBLEMS WERE. *JB